Student’s kidnapping: Final arguments in 2005 murder case

KARACHI:

The Anti-Terrorism Court II heard final arguments in the kidnapping and murder case of Qazi Muneebul Haq, who was killed in 2005.

Haq was a student at Aligarh University and was reported missing by his father. The three accused — Abdul Asif, Atif Khan and Syed Rizwan – were first convicted of the crime in 2006.

Their death sentences were overturned by the Sindh High Court in 2009 and the case was referred back to a trial court. According to news reports published at the time, Haq’s body was discovered in Hyderabad.

Earlier reports of the trial state that the family was asked to pay one million rupees in ransom and had negotiated the amount down, but Haq was still found dead. The suspects were reportedly traced by the Anti-Violent Crime Cell.

The men are facing charges of murder and kidnapping for ransom. The case was filed by the Surjani Town police and lists Haq’s father as the complainant.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2012.